A rare visit to North Korea

Richard Read, The Oregonian's senior writer for international affairs, recently returned from his second visit in two decades to North Korea, one of the world's most isolated nations.

In 1989, shortly after opening The Oregonian's Asia Bureau in Tokyo, Read wangled a Telexed invitation to visit North Korea, which was then ruled by the Great Leader, Kim Il Sung. Read flew to Beijing, where he bucked a terrified tide of Westerners fleeing China after the Tiananmen Square massacre. He flew from Beijing to Pyongyang, North Korea's showcase capital, and reported on what he expected would be the waning days of a communist dictatorship.

During the 18 years since, Read tried many times to return. Finally in September, he found a way in with a tour group, landing in Pyongyang to find a nation still sealed behind the Iron Curtain.